


Trading Thrills for Butterflies

by RaeSone99



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, Humor, Raylicity, sort of Olicity towards the end
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-24
Updated: 2015-02-24
Packaged: 2018-03-14 23:13:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,549
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3429059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RaeSone99/pseuds/RaeSone99
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Felicity goes on a date with Ray and finds herself faced with a choice. Oliver doesn't take her decision very well. It's definitely Raylicity but also Olicity because Oliver's the reason for some of her best stories. ;)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Trading Thrills for Butterflies

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own Arrow but you should totally support the show cause the real writers are awesome :)

“Felicity?”

Felicity glanced up from her phone and into the ink pools of Ray Palmer’s eyes.

“I’m sorry; one of my friends is having a crisis.”

Oliver was freaking out at the lair because he couldn’t figure something out on her computers. She’d texted him she couldn’t come by and that she’d left instructions for everything on his “desk”. Immediately she received an all caps, ‘WHY NOT?’ She’d been staring at her potential response, ‘on a date. Just read the pages you can do it’ for thirty seconds.

Send?

Ray sighed disappointed, “I’ll get the check.”  

He started to gesture at the waiter and the future flashed before Felicity’s eyes. Arguments with Ray about how he was never number one in her life, ultimatums thrown, her choosing Oliver only for Oliver to still not choose her…

Her thumb mashed the send button.

 She’d just have to believe that Oliver could make do without her. He may only want the cave but she wanted more. Reaching out Felicity took Ray’s hand in hers. He looked up from his arugula salad, a sad resigned expression on his face and Felicity felt a streak of anger at herself for almost sacrificing a potentially wonderful future and relationship with this man for one of Oliver’s maybes. What was wrong with her? Giving Ray her best apologetic smile she rubbed her thumb over his knuckles.

“Is it okay if we stay?”

Ray tilted his head confused, “But your friend…”

Felicity shook her head enough for it to give an embarrassingly loud crick,

 “…will be fine. I had a failsafe in place that should work.”

The beginning of a smile started on Ray’s face as he realized what she was saying,

“And if it doesn’t?”

Felicity smiled with a confidence she didn’t fully feel; she really had very little guarantee that Oliver wouldn’t crash through the window at any second in full Arrow regalia, shoot Palmer (non-lethally), and hike her over his shoulder King Kong style on his way to the Ducati. She cleared her throat, angrily ignoring the tiny treacherous thrill that ran through her at the thought. Ray watched her expectantly,

“Well then there’s always tomorrow.”  

As if to test her commitment her phone vibrated angrily. Without breaking eye contact she put it on silent and slid it into her purse. This time Ray’s smile was full blown, and she couldn’t help but return an equal one, wondering whether the butterflies fluttering in her stomach would ever settle back down. The maître d’  appeared but Ray waved him off before kissing the back of her hand and launching into the tale of how he’d given smart wearables to a senior center once. Genuine tears rolled down Felicity’s cheeks as they laughed at Ray’s retelling of an older gentleman who not only knew smart wearables but then proceeded to school Ray in all the ways he could market them.

“When he asked me what my 15 year plan for them was I had to get out of there!” Ray took a sip of water, “of course it wasn’t until later that the nurse told me he’d been one of the founders of Carmichael Industries and a silent investor in tech companies before he was forced to retire.”

Felicity dabbed her cheeks as she let out one last chuckle.

 “How about you? Surely you have some good stories from Tech Village or QC?”

He took a bite of his steak and Felicity’s mind raced. There was the time she’d been handcuffed by her not-so-dead ex boyfriend to highjack a money truck, the time she’d taken a bullet to save Sara from her soon to be nemesis, Tockman, the time she'd underestimated her opponent and a security guard got the jump on her, the time she blew up… Felicity blinked. Maybe simplicity was best here.

“Once, someone brought me a laptop riddled with bullet holes and he claimed he spilled coffee on it.”

Ray stopped chewing and his eyebrows rose up to meet his hairline,

“Did you call the police? Or, I, wow, would you even call the police in that situation? He sounds like a major criminal…”

Felicity could only blame her next words on two years of defending Oliver Queen.

“No, he was sweet!”

Hearing herself and seeing Ray’s skeptical face she added,  
“He also may or may not have promised me a bottle of expensive wine as an incentive. Not, that I take bribes or anything! Or assist criminals! I actually hate crime. In college I used to be a ‘hacktivist’, and why can’t I stop talking!”

Ray’s eyes glinted with amusement as he sifted through her info dump for something he could use,

“Actually, I used to dabble at hacktivism to… My handle was,” he blushed, “you’re going to laugh…”

Felicity shook her head. He hadn’t laughed at her; she wouldn’t laugh at him,

“It was X-Rayted.” He looked down in shame at the pun.

Felicity didn’t laugh. She stared at him in astonishment, forgetting about her fork in midair.

“You’re XRTD?”

Ray looked up sharply, “You know?”

Felicity nodded slowly before stopping for fear the crick would make itself known again.

“I’m, I mean I _was_ ‘Smoke in Your eyes’. My friends and I were huge fans of your work against the Dodd. We thought you’d gone to prison!”

Ray leaned forward catching her excitement, “No, no, I quit! My dad found out and threatened not to back my invention unless I…” he gestured searching for the word.

“Sold out?” Felicity supplied helpfully, cocking her head. Ray grimaced and she smiled,

“Don’t worry your secret’s safe with me.”

He smiled before offering her a taste of his dessert. The rest of their dinner progressed wonderfully and Felicity soon found herself regretfully staring at her front door. She waved to Ray as she stepped inside, her body still flushed from his kisses and the promise of brunch on Wednesday.

Thirty minutes later she was cleaned up, in bed and checking her phone to be sure the alarm was on. That was when she saw five unopened texts. The Oliver guilt she’d suppressed and ignored came back in full as she stared at her phone.

_With who?_

_Why aren’t you answering? Are you okay? Did someone hurt you? If it’s Nyssa or one of my enemies just let me know._

_Dig dropped by. Apparently you taught him how to run the search._

_I’m sorry about the lair. I should have it cleaned up by the time you get here._

_See you tomorrow?_

The last text was sent an hour ago. Felicity felt a flash of anger but resisted the urge to throw her cell phone across the room .Oliver’s ‘see you tomorrow?’ curdled her stomach. She could just imagine his face. She’d had a great night! A fantastic night! He had no right to make her feel bad, to question her loyalty with his stupid question marks. Of course she’d be there tomorrow! Just like she’d been there every night for almost two years!

Angry and feeling impulsive she tapped Oliver’s number. She intended to give him a piece of her mind, and maybe establish some ground rules, like, ‘No destroying the lair if she was on a date, or no waking Digg up in the middle of the night for something she knew he could do himself! Or…” The line opened after the third ring.

“Felicity?”

Felicity swallowed. All her ire and self righteous fury evaporated away at the hope in his voice.

“Felicity?” he sounded anxious now. She shook herself, unable to remember exactly why it’d been so imperative to call him.

“Don’t move. I’m on my way.” His voice had slipped into Arrow territory and she started with a jolt.

“No. Oliver, don’t. I’m okay. I’m okay.”

“Are you sure? He didn’t hurt you or anything did he?”

“No, I’m fine. Everything’s good. Ray was…great.” She smiled at the memory of their date until she heard a troubling SNAP on his side of the line.

“What was that?”

“Nothing,” he rushed to assure her, “So Ray huh?” he added a few second later.

“Yeah, Ray,” she said defensively. If he could see her he’d see how she crossed her arms. He’d be backtracking.

“Felicity…”

“I should go. Big meeting tomorrow.”

There was a small gap and then with a forced cheeriness that made her wince he replied,

“Of course. Right.”

Neither of them made a move and she could hear him breathing. Felicity took a deep breath,

“Good night Oliver.”

She was expecting a bright false cheery goodbye. What she got instead made her want to scream in frustration, to yell at him, to hurl truths at him. She’d always be in danger! She could take care of herself! He needed her as much as she needed him… His voice was tender and soft,

“I’ll do better next time. I just missed you…Goodnight Felicity.”

Felicity stared at her wall feeling drained as she ended the call.

Maybe…

But no. Nothing had changed. Tomorrow she’d still work for Ray, and Oliver would still keep her at arm’s length, burrowing deeper into the hood, afraid to touch her in his fear she’d slip through his fingers. Settling under her covers Felicity brushed her traitorous tears away. Moving on was hard.

  

 


End file.
